Modern Indonesia

East Asia is now a centre of world attention politically as well as economically. One of its least known but potentially most important actors is Indonesia, whose vast territory of over 3000 islands proclaimed its independence after the ending of Japanese occupation in 1945. This concise but trenchant account of its history - the turbulent years under Sukarno followed by transformation, stability but international withdrawal under Suharto - is currently without a competitor. It provides an invaluable introduction to a republic which, under a younger, more self-confident generation, seems poised to assume a regional and global role commensurate with its status as the world's fourth most populous nation.